The present invention relates generally to paper-like-piece handling apparatus for storing bills (pieces of paper money) or other paper-like pieces in a storage section using a paper-like-piece-pressing-plate reciprocating unit, and more particularly to a paper-like-piece handling apparatus of a type which includes a paper-like-piece-pressing-plate reciprocating unit composed of extendible/contractible pantograph-type link mechanisms.
There have been known bill handling apparatus for cumulatively storing bills in a bill storage section using a reciprocating unit, one example of which is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2609155. The reciprocating unit in the bill handling apparatus disclosed in the Japanese patent permits extraction and contraction of a pair of left and right pantograph-type link mechanisms each comprising a pair of link arms or link members pivotally connected with each other at respective central points in an intersecting fashion. The extraction and contraction of the pantograph-type link mechanisms cause a bill pressing plate to move back and forth (i.e., reciprocate) so as to store a bill into the bill storage section. Specifically, each of the left and right pantograph-type link mechanisms, each including the intersecting link members, has one end pivotally connected to a base plate and bill pressing plate and another end slidably coupled to the base plate and bill pressing plate. Sliding movement of the other end of the pantograph-type link mechanism can cause the pantograph-type link mechanism to extend and contract so that the bill pressing plate can reciprocate. More specifically, for such extraction and contraction of the pantograph-type link mechanism, a sliding actuator plate is connected to the other end of the link mechanism, and rotating movement of a rotary eccentric cam is caused to directly act on the sliding actuator plate in such a manner that the sliding actuator plate moves back and forth in a direction substantially parallel to a surface of the bill. Further, there has been known another type of bill handling apparatus which includes a pair of left and right pantograph-type link mechanisms each provided with a rotary eccentric cam, and rotating movement of these two rotary eccentric cams is caused to directly act on the corresponding link mechanisms so that linear drive forces are applied to the link mechanisms to cause the link mechanisms to extend and contract substantially perpendicularly to a surface of a bill (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,367 or Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. HEI-8-241448). Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,072 discloses that a pair of left and right pantograph-type link mechanisms are driven by direct contact with a pair of rotary eccentric cams. Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,952 discloses a stacker machine that uses no pantograph-type link mechanism.
In cases where the pantograph-type link mechanisms are caused to extend and contract via an electric motor, the motor may be positioned in either one of the following two ways. First, the motor may be placed in a horizontal orientation such that the axis of the motor""s rotation shaft extends perpendicularly to the length of the link mechanisms. Second, the motor may be placed in a vertical orientation such that the axis of the motor""s rotation shaft extends parallel to the length of the link mechanisms. In the former case (horizontal orientation), the motor is positioned between the two link mechanisms or outwardly of the two link mechanisms so that the axis of the motor""s rotation shaft lies parallel to the rotation shaft axes of the eccentric cams. However, if the motor is to be positioned between the two link mechanisms, it would be very difficult to position the motor as desired due to a small space between the link mechanisms. If, on the other hand, the motor is to be positioned outwardly of the two link mechanisms, the overall apparatus size would undesirably increase because the motor protrudes outwardly from the link mechanisms to a considerable degree. In the latter case (vertical orientation), the motor is disposed between the link mechanisms with the axis of the motor""s rotation shaft lying at right angles to the rotation shaft axes of the eccentric cams, and thus the motor would not undesirably protrude outwardly from the link mechanisms; however, in order to transmit the motor""s rotating movement to the eccentric cams, there is a need to change the direction of the motor""s rotating movement by 90xc2x0 via a bevel gear or the like. To that end, complicated mechanisms or arrangements would be required not only for distributing the motor""s rotating movement to the rotary eccentric cams of the link mechanisms but also for maintaining synchronism in the extension and contraction between the link mechanisms, which would greatly complicate the structure of the reciprocating unit. Namely, because of the use of the bevel gears associated with the two link mechanisms, extra mechanisms would be required for allowing the single motor to deliver its rotating movement to the bevel gears as rotational drive forces of a same direction.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a paper-like-piece handling apparatus which can greatly simplify the structure of a paper-like-piece-pressing-plate reciprocating unit employed therein.
In order to accomplish the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a paper-like piece handling apparatus which comprises: a pressing plate that presses a paper-like piece; and a reciprocating unit that reciprocates the pressing plate, the reciprocating unit including a pair of link mechanisms disposed along opposite sides of the pressing plate, each of the link mechanisms including a pair of link members pivotally connected with each other in an intersecting fashion, at least one of the link members being coupled at one end to the pressing plate for sliding movement therealong. The reciprocating unit further includes: a connecting member that interconnects the pair of link mechanisms at a predetermined position; an actuator operatively connected to the connecting member; and a drive unit that linearly displaces the actuator. The pair of link mechanisms are caused to extend and contract, together as an integral unit, via the connecting member in response to linear reciprocating movement of the actuator so that the pressing plate reciprocates in response to extension and contraction of the pair of link mechanisms. With such arrangements, the bill handling apparatus of the present invention enables the extension and contraction of the link mechanisms by means of only one actuator and thus can significantly simplify the structure of the paper-like-piece-pressing-plate reciprocating unit. Namely, the present invention can cause the link mechanisms to extend and contract with an extremely simple structure, by eliminating the need for complicated mechanisms or arrangements for distributing the rotating movement of the motor to the two link mechanisms as rotational drive forces of a same direction. As a result, the present invention can greatly simplify the structure of the reciprocating unit.
While the embodiments to be described herein represent the preferred form of the present invention, it is to be understood that various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the present invention is therefore to be determined solely by the appended claims.